His powers are growing
by Mojenica
Summary: The Mummy from Ardeth Bay's POV. Also lots of filler. All chapters are posted, and a sneek peek at my next fic as well. R&R please.
1. Default Chapter

Blah Blah. I dont own the characters. Dont sue me. You all know, the norm.   
  
So....This is the Mummy from Ardeths POV. It is a work is progress. And I want to see how you all like the first bit. So I will if I have to go back and change anything. So...review and let me know!   
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The roar of the warriors filled the air, as the Tuaregs rushed forward at the French. The latter of whom were hiding behind the walls of the ever so sacred Hamanaptra. Both sides held their guns steady, ready to shoot at any moment. Both sides determined to win the battle of who got the city. Little did either side know that the city was already owned.   
  
Ardeth Bay sat on top of a nearby hill, a rather amused look on his face. Since he was a child, he never ceased to be amused by the fools who would try and take the city as their own. The City of the Dead belonged to the Med-jai, in which Ardeth was a part. But he was more then just a warrior to the Med-jai; he played a larger part. For was their king. Ardeth's father, the great Omar Bay, had died only a year before, so being a king was quite new to him.   
  
He sat on the hill with 10 of his men, watching the battle unfold before us. He sat the sixth man in, his fathers second in command (and the newest High Elder); Jakum was sitting to the right of him. His own second in command, Ahmad, sitting on the left of the king, watching on earnestly. The other seven men, mostly warriors and a few other elders, sat in silence, as they watched the carnage unfold.   
  
Ardeth couldn't help but think about the Med-jai's role in the legend of Hamanaptra; they had been a cause of the curse.   
  
"And for three thousand years, we the Med-jai, the descendents of Pharos sacred body guards, kept watch." He thought, watching as the Tuaregs had finally reached the city walls, plucking off the Frenchmen easily.   
  
But one man stood out to Ardeth, a man that seemed to be controlling the other Frenchmen. Their leader, maybe? From his distance, Ardeth could not tell what the man looked like, but he could tell his mannerisms. He shook his head softly, watching the Frenchmen retreat, running scared into the city.   
  
"They run like cowards, and do not stay to face their battles." One of the warriors scoffed, watching the retreating Army. "They do not fight like men."  
"Because they are not true men." Jakum said, "They fight behind their weapons and their walls. Never wishing for hand to hand combat."  
"Look at the amateurs!" Another Elder commented, pointing to the Tuaregs, as they rushed the city and cut down any and all that were still standing.   
  
Ardeth did not speak, but kept his eyes on the commander of the French Army. For a minute, he was lost in the city, and Ardeth could not tell what was going on with him. He knew they were French, by the flag they had carried in with them. His father, Allah rest his soul, had once taught him a few of the many different flags that hung around Cairo.   
  
With a clear view, he watched as the commander stood in front of the statue of Anubis, and watched as the Tuaregs, who had planned on killing the man, retreated in fear. Then, they saw the commander retreat in fear as well, running out of the city, horse less and weapon less.  
  
"The creature remains undiscovered." Ardeth said, with a slight smile tugging at his lips.   
  
Ardeth felt something as the man staggered forward through the hot desert. Something hit him, and he knew that very second, this man would play a very important roll in his life. Though, what that role was, Ardeth did not know. As the man got closer to the cliff the Med-jai sat on, Ardeth could tell he was a blond man, tall, and well trained to the heat of the desert.   
  
Then the man, as though he knew the Ten Med-jai warriors were watching him, stopped and turned towards them, staring at them as they stared back. Ardeth knew he could not kill this man…ever.   
  
"And what of this one?" Jakum asked, staring down at the lonely man below. "Should we kill him?"  
  
The words hit Ardeth, but he did not let it show. "No." He said forcefully, looking down at the man with pity in his heart. "The desert will kill him." He hoped that to be untrue.   
  
The man stumbled away from the city and the Med-jai, starting his way across the long desert trip to civilization.   
  
The Med-jai, or most importantly, Ardeth, watched the man until he was out of sight. Ardeth wished he knew what it was that he felt about the man. It was almost a feeling of pity or friendship. He did not speak a word of it, though, for his people would not approve. And for Ardeth, he never wanted his people to disapprove of anything he did.   
  
"Ahmad, we shall go survey the damage done to the city, and deal with the bodies of the fallen." Ardeth said finally.   
  
Ahmad nodded and waved his hand at the eight other men, then followed Ardeth's black horse down the hill and into the city.   
  
~~~~~~~  
Cairo: Three years later.  
~~~~~~~  
Ardeth, walked quickly through the city of Cairo, his long Med-jai robes bellowing out behind him in a soft breeze. He knew he had to see his beloved uncle before he left for home. Ardeth walked up the familiar steps of the Museum of Antiquities, feeling a smile creep across his face.   
  
Suddenly, and out of no where, the thought of a man came to Ardeth's mind. The man he was watched cross the desert three years before. He did not know why the thought popped into his mind, or what it meant. So he pushed it aside and walked into the office of his uncle, Dr. Tariff Bay, curator of the museum.   
  
"Uncle!" He said happily, as he crossed to the older man, hand held out.   
"Ardeth! My, what a joyful surprise!" His uncle said, turning to the younger, larger, man.   
  
Though both Med-jai, the two men could not be more different. Ardeth, though young, was a hard-trained warrior, whose life was spent in the desert, watching over the City of the Dead. His uncle, on the other hand, never got out into the desert much, and didn't see much action in his days. And where Ardeth was wearing the traditional robes, his uncle was dressed in a black suit and tie, clean white shirt, and, in honor of his Med-jai life, a deep crimson sash around his waist.   
  
Ardeth watched his uncle smile lovingly as he to held out his hand, both men clasping the others lower arm tightly and shaking.   
  
"My favorite nephew, how have you been? It has been far to long." Dr. Bay said with a smile.   
"I know, uncle, it has. I. Myself, have been fine. Life has been going well for the Med-jai in the desert."  
  
"Wonderful to know! Life has been fine as well, for the Med-jai in the city. Though, I fear that our lives are not as exciting as yours are. Tell me, how is your mother and sister?"  
"They are both fine, though they both miss you terribly. Meelish starts her medical training here in Cairo soon, in another month I believe. She looks forward to spending time with you. Mother…she is doing better then last you saw her. She still misses Father very much, and it has been hard for her…after both losses she faced…" Ardeth cut short. Both men knew what he meant, and nothing had to be said between them.   
  
"Any way, she misses you very much, and hopes to see you again soon."  
"And I miss them very much. I really should go out and visit with them all, before it is to late." Dr. Bay sighed. "Tell me, have anyone been foolish enough to venture to the City?"  
  
"Yes, we get at least one party every moon or so. Most of them we scare off, but there are a few we have to kill. Ahmad does not think to highly of that, he wishes us to just scare all of them away."  
"My son, your second in command is a pacifist."  
"But he is a good man and a better warrior…what about you? Last I heard, you were getting some more help around here." Ardeth mused.   
He remembered the last time he had seen his uncle; the man was training two fresh-faced British people, a man and a woman. And in his letters to Ardeth, Dr. Bay told him how much a trouble the two were.   
Dr. Bay rolled his eyes. "Don't even let me start, I do not wish to speak of them. One…the girl…is the clumsiest thing I have ever seen in my life. The other, her brother, is even worse. I don't think there is ever a time when he isn't drunk."  
  
"Why do you put up with them, uncle? You have never had a problem with getting rid of people." Ardeth sat down in a large, golden, seat, picking up a small dagger on his uncle's desk.   
  
"I promised their parents, Allah rest their souls, that I would take care of the two in case anything ever happened to their parents. Well, something did happen…and I was stuck with them." Dr. Bay sighed and sat down across from his nephew.   
  
Ardeth couldn't help but laugh. He loved his uncle, and this museum, more them most things in the world. And they were the only reasons he often came into Cairo. He hated this city…   
  
"Oh, uncle, it cant be that bad. Maybe they will just give up and go back to their own country, where they belong."  
"They will never do that, Ardeth, though it is nice to dream they will. They get tired of their gray, dull, lifeless country and come to ours. They take over our ruins, and go after our treasures…bunch of savages, all of them." Dr. Bay shook his head.   
  
Ardeth had always listened to his father and uncle talk about their hatred for the foreigners that took over Egypt. So he had heard this many times before. Glancing at a clock on the wall, Ardeth stood.  
"I hate to do this uncle, but I have to leave soon. We are going back soon."  
  
"Oh, Ardeth, can't you stay longer? I want to hear more about you, like if you have found a love yet."  
The warrior rolled his eyes. He was getting this conversation from everyone lately.   
"No, uncle, I have not found a love yet. There is no one out there that seems good for me."  
"Then you should be looking harder. You are these peoples king, they need an heir! From the looks of it, you won't produce one till you're in your thirties!"  
"I am young, uncle. I am sure I will find someone before then. But even if I don't that's fine with me. If I don't find a wife till I'm 33 that's fine with me! I don't want to rush into anything."  
  
Dr. Bay placed his hand around the back of Ardeth's neck and smiled brightly. "You are a wise man, my son. Your father would be so proud of you…you are looking more and more like him every day."  
  
"That's what mother always says." Ardeth glanced at the wall clock again. "I have to be going now, uncle. I am sorry we don't get to visit more. Please, come out and visit us soon. We would all like that very much."  
  
"I will. Now give your uncle a hug before you go." The two men embraced both smiling. Ardeth felt like he was in his father's presence again. When the hug broke, Ardeth crossed the room, but the voice of his uncle stopped him in his tracks.   
  
"Something is coming, Ardeth, something big. That you and I never expected. I can feel it. Something big is going to happen soon."  
"What uncle?"  
  
Before his uncle could respond, a series of loud crashes echoed throughout the museum. Both men looked at each other, then in the direction of the noise.  
  
"Oh…. No…." Was all his uncle could get out. Ardeth chuckled as Dr. Bay rushed out of his office and into the library of the museum. Ardeth walked the other way, and ventured into the Cairo day. Meeting Ahmad out side.   
  
"Good day, my friend. Any news?" Ahmad said, with a bow of the head.   
"Non so far. Tell me, are you heading back with us tonight?" Ardeth and Ahmad walked through the streets.   
"I wish to stay for a few more days. Ameir needs my help."  
  
"So be it." Ardeth said as he entered a Med-jai stable. "Keep me informed. My uncle seems to think something big is coming. And he is good at predicting these things."  
Little did Ardeth, Ahmad, or any of the Med-jai know how big it would all be.   
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Again, review and let me know. So I can make it perfect. Lime jello, and thanks!  
  
PS, for those of you who asked, age be gone. 


	2. part 2

First of all, thanks so much for the reviews. I'm happy so much of you like it. (As fellow authors, you know how nice it is to get good reviews.) Second, on the request of so many of you, Ardeth no longer has an age. I understand what you mean by believeing him to be older. But I am also going by my other stories, and they all explain his age. (I like my stories to connect.) But, for the rest of this story, and for the Ardeth POV of TMR, I will leave his age out of it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Once Imhotep comes back, you will all see alot more familiar scenes.   
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"The key and map have been found. Two parties are heading towards the city. Please advise."  
  
The simple string of words turned Ardeth's whole day upside down.   
At dusk, on the day he left Cairo, Ardeth had spotted Ahmad's falcon flying towards them, and that was the message he had brought. In a furry, Ardeth scribbled a note back to his second in command, hooked it to the bird's leg, and sent it off.   
  
"Stop them and get the map and key back. Use any means necessary."  
  
The map and the key. Ardeth often kicked himself for ever letting those two objects slip out of his watch over Hamunaptra. Grumbling, he pushed his own party deeper into the desert and closer towards home.   
He knew that, at any chance that Ahmad could not keep the party from reaching the city, Ardeth would have to stop them there.   
  
~~  
"We didn't stop them…all but two of us dead…both parties continuing on to the city." Ardeth helped Ahmad off his horse. The latter landing in the sand with a grunt. The mission to retrieve the sacred map and key, which would unlock the horrid secrets of Hamunaptra, had not gone as planed. Ten of the twelve men who were sent to retrieve the precious objects had been killed. And the map, key, and the woman, who had them, all had gotten away.   
  
"It is the woman who works with your uncle." Ahmad said, in between gulps of water. "The British woman…. And her brother…. And another man…I myself did not see him, though Harif did…" Both warriors looked in the direction of the medical tent in the City of the Med-jai.   
Two warriors had survived the bloody, fiery, mission, Ahmad, with a few minor cuts and burns. Harif had been burned over most of his body. Ardeth shook his head in anger, not only had he lost ten of his best men, one more would most likely be joining them soon.  
  
"The one party…with the woman…left yearly this morning. There is only four in that one. The other…there are many. I don't know the right count…but there has to be at least twelve. They took different paths…but they should meet in the same place tomorrow morning."   
  
Ardeth helped Ahmad to his feet, and helped him to Ahmad's home.   
"I want them to know we are here." Ardeth said bitterly, "I want them to know that they are being watched. They should enter the valley of the city early morning. I want us to be there."  
  
"I will come with you…" Ahmad said weakly.   
"No. You must regain your strength."  
"I am coming with you." Ahmad said, again. Ardeth knew it would be hopeless to fight with his friend about it.   
"Fine." Was all he said, as he left the tent in a huff.   
  
~~  
In the early Egypt morning, Ardeth, Ahmad, and eight other Med-jai rode their horses up to a cliff, over looking the valley of Hamunaptra. In the silence, they squinted their eyes at four tiny dots moving below them. Ardeth sat and watched…studied the figures…their movements.   
As the party, still unaware of the warriors watching them, moved further along, they slowly got bigger and more recognizable. Ardeth could pick out the shape of a woman, one skinny man, one large man…and another man. A familiar looking being. And as if the man knew he was being watched turned and looked up the cliff where Ardeth and his men sat.   
  
And Ardeth knew in an instant who he was.   
  
"This one is strong." He said, an amused look on his face and eyes. Though miles separated them, both men looked right at each other. And they continued to look at each other, until Ardeth could not see the man any more.   
  
"Who is that?" Ahmad asked, sitting to the right of Ardeth.   
"Remember, three years ago, that battle between the French and the Tuergs? The one man, left standing, who stumbled into the desert?"  
"Would he be that foolish to return?"   
  
"He is." Ardeth turned his horse around. "I want to watch them enter the city…get a good measure on how many we have to deal with. They will reach the spot soon. We must go."   
  
Ardeth and his men rode off, into the morning. The sky was slowly getting lighter and by the time they reached another cliff, over looking the two parties that had now met, the sun was ready to rise.   
  
Ardeth studied the parties closely. One woman and 20 men, that couldn't be good for her. The woman's party sat on top of camels, the other party, the larger of the two, sat on top horses. The latter seemed more prepared.   
  
The two parties, that had now formed one large one, sat talking, waiting. And all the Med-jai knew what they were waiting for. Slowly, surely, the sun rose, and off to one side of the valley a mirage formed in the air. Then settled on the ground, fuzzy, unclear. To the amazed eyes of the party, and the unmoved eyes of the Med-jai, the mirage cleared up.   
  
And Hamunaptra appeared in front of all, a glimmering, deadly, secretive place.   
  
The Med-jai watched as the party raced off to the city, the woman ahead of all the men. Ardeth watched closely as his men threw another off a camel, then proceeded onto the city without a thought.   
  
He liked this mans style.   
  
They watched as the whole party rode into the city, and could hear the faint whoops of joy that came from the group.   
  
"We attack tonight." Ardeth said, finally, breaking the silence. "After they have gone to sleep. I want it to be swift and easy. And we should out number them. Ahmad, go get twenty more warriors. The rest of us will wait here…and watch."  
  
"What of the woman, my lord?" One warrior asked.   
"We will capture her and take her back to Cairo."  
"But she knows the location of the city! Don't you think she will get more people and come back?"  
  
"No Med-jai sword will ever kill a woman. Besides, after tonight, she will learn her lesson, and never come back. I will be sure of that."  
  
Ahmad, two other warriors on toe, rode off deep into the desert, leaving Ardeth, and six others behind. The Med-jai waited and watched, all day, as the party down below settled in and explored the ruins. Ardeth ventured close enough to the city to where he could see the men close up. He saw the woman talking with another man, tall, lanky, British, most likely her brother. And though he watched the camp for an hour, he did not see the man-his man-at all. By the time he got back to the makeshift camp the Med-jai had formed, Ahmad, now with 22 men, had returned.   
  
"Anything new happen?" Ahmad asked, with a quick bow of the head.   
"The have gone under the city, though where, I do not know."  
"Ardeth, don't you think that we should attack now? If they find anything down there…"  
"We will wait for night fall, as before planed."  
"Are you sure you want to wait that long?"  
"Yes!" Ardeth snapped, causing those around him to jump.   
  
His long time friend and second in command looked at him coldly. And Ardeth could tell that, given the chance, Ahmad would have kicked his ass that very moment. Bitterly, Ahmad turned on his heal and left, and Ardeth turned on his as forced his attention onto the city below.   
  
~~  
As night fell, the thirty warriors began to clean their scimitars and load their guns, by the small camp fire they had built behind a large dune.   
Earlier in the day, some of the workers in the camp brought out the bodies of four men. Three, it had appeared, were burned somehow. The other, the large man from the woman's party, did not show how he had died. The workers carried the bodies behind the city, and seemingly buried them in the dirt.   
  
Ardeth had watched this all with interest, and wondered how the four men could have died. A few times, during the day, he saw his man. But only quick sights of him.   
  
Then, the party slowly turned in for the night, and the Med-jai made their move.   
  
With a battle cry, the thirty warriors raced into the city, guns and scimitars raised, and began cutting down any and all in their path. They shot, stabbed, and sliced every man they could get their hands on. They threw torches into tents, and one warrior shot one of the parties' men in the arm.   
  
But the party fought back, and shot many of the warriors, killing them as the warriors had killed theirs.   
  
Ardeth came from behind, racing towards two men. One, in a red fez, the other, the skinny brother to the woman. The red fez ran for his life, and Ardeth focused his attention on the brother.   
  
"O'CONNELL!!!" the brother yelled as he to ran for his life, as Ardeth chased him on his horse. Out of the corner of his eye, Ardeth saw a man dive at him, knocking the Med-jai and his horse into a tent. In the confusion, Ardeth could not see who he was fighting, but threw wild punches any ways. Once on the ground again, Ardeth pulled out one of his scimitars, only to have it blown away but the mans gun.   
  
Another warrior rode up and tried to kill the man, but he simply shot the Med-jai off his horse. Turning back, Ardeth knocked the gun out of his hands, then sliced at the man. The man threw himself back, rolled along the ground, and while doing so, lit a piece of dynamite that Ardeth had not seen before, And then they faced each other.   
  
For the first time, Ardeth saw whom he was fighting. The man from the desert, three years before. The man who had popped into his thoughts often, the man who Ardeth knew he was supposed to know. He studied the man in a quick second. Then looked him in the eye. Both men knew that they could both kill the other in a second, but neither of them made the move. The man, lit stick of dynamite held out in front of him, studied the warrior as well. And some sort of silent understanding passed between the two.   
  
"ENOUGH! Enough!" Ardeth cried, in English, "We will shed no more blood! But you must leave, leave this place or die!" With one final glance, Ardeth turned.   
"You have one day!"   
  
He quickly mounted his horse, that Ahmad had brought to him. Then looked around the battered camp. Switching to Arabic, he cried to his men, "Come! Lets go!" looked at the man once more, then the Med-jai thundered out of the city, calling out battle cries along the way. Leaving the broken party behind.   
  
~~  
"How many?" Ardeth asked, as he dismounted. They had reached their makeshift camp, their number now drastically reduced. Ahmad counted the men, then turned back to his Chieftain.   
  
"They killed fourteen, my lord."   
Ardeth clinched his teeth and fists. "I will give them till sunset tomorrow, if they are not gone, we go back and kill them all."  
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By the way, (I hope none of you mind the selfish self promotion) check out my other recent story, "The third time around." It is a good story, all about Ardeth's and the O'Connell's great-grandchilren. (Some Imhotep action to!) Check it out, if ya have the chance. Here endith the shameless self promotion, you may now move on with your life.   
  
More POV coming soon, but since school started, it is hard for me to write as much as I could over the summer. Lime jello, and hang in there. The next chapter will be coming in a few days time. 


	3. part 3

I feel the first part of this chapter isnt that great. Oh well, such as life. Um....yeah...this is more filler then anything. We really wont get to his pov until we get to more parts of the movie. Doesnt matter, either way, you all like it! Enjoy this, more coming.   
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The Med-jai watched and waited as the night slowly lead into day. But it seemed that their attack had not scared away the party. Ardeth watched with the most interest, getting as close as he could to the city with out the party's knowledge. Sometime in the night, the remaining inhabitants of the city had buried the dead in the same general manor they had buried the four who had died the day before. He watched his man the most, studying his mannerisms, and wondered why this man was supposed to be a part of his life.   
  
The day passed slowly, as the remaining sixteen Med-jai slowly dwindled down to ten. Ahmad went back but Ardeth did not. He wanted to see if the party would indeed leave when they were told to.   
They did not. In the late afternoon, the sun slipped slowly into the ground and the party stayed where it was. Ardeth, though fuming mad, held off the second attack party. Something was happening down below.   
  
~~  
"NO!"   
  
Ardeth sat up in a panic, cold sweat dripping from his body. Something was not right…something was wrong in the night. Something…that had to do with the creature. He slowed his rapid breathing and looked around. He was still at the make shift camp…he was still with his fellow Med-jai warriors.   
  
Suddenly, a strange wind blew, spooking the horses and sending a chill through every ones body. And a second later, all the warriors looked up as a strange sound filled the air. And what they saw…a cloud, thick and dark was coming right at them! A cloud that moved unnaturally, swarming and wiggling.   
  
Ardeth knew at once what had happened, but could not scream out to his men. The cloud hit them, filling the makeshift camp with thousands of crickets. The cloud…storm…of bugs passed over them and made it's way to Hamunaptra. The horses went crazy, pulling and kicking, trying to get free from where they were tied. The men tore franticly at their clothes, fighting off the hordes of bugs that now swarmed around the Med-jai. Ardeth, brushing the bugs off his robes, looked over at the city, which was now covered, completely in the black storm.   
  
"Get your guns!" He yelled to his men, who were still brushing the bugs from their bodies. "Leave the horses and let's go! They have awoken the creature!"  
  
The very words sent every man there into shock. It even seemed to shock the horses who, for a few seconds, stopped going mad and looked at the chieftain.   
  
Ardeth himself could not believe that he had spoken the words. He stared at his unmoving men, and barked, "NOW!" His men jumped into action, each grabbing a rifle and franticly loading it, Ardeth to did the same.   
  
Then the Med-jai sat off, on foot, running towards the City of the Dead. By the time they arrived, the bugs were gone, and so were just about everyone else. A skinny man, clutching a book and a kanopic jar in his arms, stumbled blindly towards them, eyes wide and filled with fright. It took him a second, but then recognized the warriors. He tried to turn and run, but Ardeth and another warrior pounced, forcing him to his knees.   
  
"Where are the others?!" Ardeth spat.   
The man weakly pointed towards an entrance to the inside of the city. Ardeth motioned with his hand, and he and five other men ducked into the hole. They did not get very far.   
Another man was crawling on the floor, whimpering softly. And as the warriors ran to him, they recoiled in shock. The man was missing his eyes and tongue. As if sensing their presence, the man whimpered softly and held out a hand, then muffled something that sounded like,   
"Help me."  
  
Ardeth motioned to his men, who took the man by the arms and legs and dragged him out into the night. Two of the warriors looked him over, their eyes wide and fearful. Ardeth meanwhile faced the entrance. Waiting.   
  
Then what was left of the tragic party, raced out of the entrance. Each one's faces filled with horror and fright. Four men and the woman--who was holding hands with Ardeth's man--stopped dead in their tracks the second they saw the Med-jai, who were now all pointing guns in their direction. Most of their hands shot up in the air, but the tall one did not. He just stared defiantly at the warriors.   
  
Ardeth's hand rose and pulled down his protective mask, his eyes staring straight at the man.   
  
"I told you to leave or die, you refused. Now you may have killed us all. For you have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more then 3000 years." His eyes scanned over the small party, before landing back on the man.   
  
"Relax, I got him." He said, allowing the Med-jai chieftain to hear his voice for the first time.   
  
"No mortal weapon can kill this creature, he is not of this world!" Ardeth said, bitterly. He stepped aside as two of his warriors dragged the whimpering, fallen man to the feet of his friends. Every one of their faces turned down in shock as they glimpsed the man, as his friends took him into their arms.   
  
"You bastards." One of them spat.   
"What did you do to him!?" The other one said, anger filling his voice.   
  
"We saved him! Saved him before the creature could finish his work." He looked at the small party, hating every last one of them. "Now leave, all of you, quickly. Before he finishes you all." Switching to Arabic, he waved his hand and said, "Come, lets go."   
  
His warriors lowered their guns and passed the shaken party, filing into the entrance. Ardeth shot a look at his man before passing him. "We must now go on the hunt, and try and find a way to kill him."   
  
"I already told you, I got him." The man said.   
Ardeth turned on his heal, and stared the man right in the face, his voice urgent.   
"Know this. This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep, he will never stop." With that, Ardeth turned again and marched into the entrance, leaving the group behind.   
  
~~   
The Med-jai couldn't hide their fear as they descended further into the depths of Hamunaptra. With torches held high and weapons held in front of their bodies, Ardeth and his men slowly walked the now empty hallways.   
  
Ardeth had only ventured in to the depths of the city twice before, but never in the way in which they were walking. And when the small group of warriors came to a fork in the hallway, he was as puzzled as the rest of them.   
  
"My Lord…?" One warrior said, in a whisper.   
Ardeth looked from his men to the two paths, then back to his men.   
"We should go…" He looked at the different paths. "Right."   
  
But before his men could move, an unearthly scream filled the city, and the Med-jai ran down the left hallway. Running along the narrow path, that twisted and turned at every chance it got, the warriors forgot their fright. Finally, the hallway opened into a large, sandy, empty room.   
  
"The scream…it came from here." Ardeth said softly.   
A single, dim torch was lying on the floor in the center of the room, casting eerie shadows around the ten men. Scimitar raised, Ardeth carefully walked to the discarded torch. A small, gold, object lie right next to the flame, glistening lightly in the light. Kicking the torch aside, he bent over and picked it up, revealing a tiny ring, in the shape of a snake that would coil around one's finger. Then looking up, he saw a hole, roughly the width of an arm, in the ceiling.   
  
"Pair up, search the whole city. We must find the creature." He told his men.   
And the Med-jai searched, for an hour, in the night. But when they all gathered again, their countenance gave away that nothing was found. In furry, Ardeth kicked over one of the empty tents the party had left behind.   
  
"Very well then. The creature…he must be heading to Cairo. In order to regenerate, he will have to feed off of those in the party. He will want to finish off that poor man…" Ardeth seemed to be speaking to himself. "I am going to go after him, maybe my uncle will know what to do."  
"Are you sure, my Lord? Do you wish for some of us to come with you?"  
"No, I will go alone. You all head back home, tell Ahmad what happened, and tell him that if I need help, I will send for it. Other wise, stay back. I will take care of this."  
  
The uneasy warriors, most of whom were older the Ardeth, looked at each other silently. They could not agree with what their young leader was about to do. Ardeth did not miss the looks of concern and disapproval. He chose to ignore them.   
  
Ten minutes later, The Med-jai chieftain rode off into the night.   
  
~~  
The sky was dark and stormy when Ardeth reached Cairo, two days after the creature had awoken. Lighting streaked across the sky as he rode into the vast city. Ardeth took his horse to a Med-jai corral then ran across the city to the Museum of Antiquities.   
  
"Uncle!" He gasped as he rushed into Dr. Bay's office.   
"Ardeth!" The older man stood. "What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?"  
"It is not the pleasant, I am afraid. The woman who works for you…"  
"Ms. Carnahan?"  
"What ever her name is…is she here? Have you seen her?"  
"No, not today, but she was here briefly yesterday with her brother and another man. Why?"  
"Uncle, you might want to sit down for this."  
  
His puzzled relative sat down at his desk, but Ardeth remained standing. And, as he paced back and forth, he told his uncle the story of the past days. He told him everything, the man who Ardeth was supposed to know, the raid, the storm of crickets, and how they had not found the creature that night.   
  
When he was finished, Dr. Bay looked at his nephew, and did not speak a word.   
"Uncle?"  
"This is all true?" The older man gasped.   
"Yes, it is."  
  
"So it has begun…" He could not finish his sentence, for a loud sound fell from the sky, as screams filled the Cairo air. Rushing to a window, they watched on stunned as fireballs rained from the sky, landing on houses and people, filling the town with flames.  
  
"He's here." Ardeth said softly.   
  
Both men turned to each other, shock ringing in each of their eyes.   
"I must go find him…" Ardeth began  
"NO!" Dr. Bay said, standing between his nephew and the door. "I will not let you go out in this. No doubt Ms. Carnahan and her friends will come to me. So you are to stay here until they do!"  
  
Ardeth stared down at the older, smaller man. They both knew that if he really wanted, Ardeth could just force his way past his uncle and leave. But he did not. With a sigh, he nodded his head.   
"Uncle, is there any way to kill the creature?"  
  
Dr. Bay gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I am afraid, we do not know of one. That is the ironic part about all this, we know every thing about the creature and his story, but we do not know a way to kill him."  
"Is there nothing you can think of?"  
"I could not tell you a thing."  
  
~~  
A few minutes later, the two Med-jai heard voices coming down the hall towards them.   
"There is only one person I know who can possibly give us any answers." A woman's voice said, as the group rounded the corner into the office. Ardeth saw at once that it was the people who had awoken the creature, and could barley contain the hatred inside of him.   
  
"YOU!" the woman, Ms. Carnahan, as uncle had called her, exclaimed, the second she laid eyes on Ardeth. In an immediate response, three of the men pulled their guns out and pointed them at the warrior.   
  
"Ms. Carnahan, gentlemen." Dr. Bay said, in a cool voice.   
"What is he doing here?" She spat.   
"Do you really want to know? Or would you just prefer to just…shoot us?"  
  
"After what I just saw, I'm willing to go on a little faith here." The tall man, Ardeth's guy, said, as he re holstered his pistol. His eyes never left Ardeth for a second. The Med-jai himself stared down the man, looking him and his party over. The other two men also holstered their guns, as they all slowly spilled into the office.   
  
Ardeth kept close to his uncle, as Ms. Carnahan and the tall man stuck close together, the other two Americans went to the other side of the room. And the brother, who Ardeth had to assume, was Mr. Carnahan, walked to the Pharaoh's chariot and hopped on, pushing the dummy pharaoh aside. The all looked at each other, as if trying to find out who would go first. But the Med-jai knew that questions had to be answered so calmly, Dr. Bay began.   
  
"We are part of an ancient secret society, for over three thousand years we have guarded The City of the Dead. We are sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world."  
  
"And now because of you, we have failed." Ardeth couldn't help but throw in, glaring at the tall man, who was sitting in a chair.  
"And you think this justifies killing innocent people!?" Ms. Carnahan asked, staring at the two men.  
  
"To stop this creature? Let me think…" Dr. Bay asked.   
"Yes!" Both he and Ardeth said at the same time, causing the woman to jump slightly.   
  
"Question," the tall man asked, pointing his finger up, "Why doesn't he like cats?"  
"Cats are the guardians of the underworld. He will fear them until he is fully regenerated."   
"And then he will fear nothing." Ardeth chimed in.  
  
One of the Americans spoke up.   
"Yeah, And ya know how he gets fully regenerated?!"   
"By killing everybody who opened that chest." The other American said, looking at his gun.   
"And sucking us dry! That's how!"   
  
A noise came from behind them, a light thwack, as Ms. Carnahan stepped forward.   
"Jonathan, will you stop playing with that!" She said rather crossly, to her brother on the chariot. "When I saw him alive At Hamunaptra, he called me Anuck-su-namun."   
  
Ardeth swiftly looked at his uncle, both sets of eyes wide.   
"And then, just now, in Mister Burns' quarters he tried to kiss me."  
Ardeth and Dr. Bay did not take their eyes off each other.   
"Because of his love for Anuck-su-namun that he was cursed. Apparently even after three thousand years…"  
"He's still in love with her." Ardeth finished the sentence.  
  
"Yes, well that's very romantic, but what does that have to do with me?" The British woman asked.   
"Perhaps he will once again try and raise her from the dead." Ardeth said, leaning over his uncle's chair.   
  
"It appears he has already chosen his human sacrifice." Both men turned and looked at Ms. Carnahan. Who looked shocked and turned away herself.   
  
"Bad luck ol'mum." Her brother said softly, leaning over the side of the chariot. Ardeth turned and looked at him. He seemed like a troublemaker, in fact they all did. He was the one Ardeth had chased in the raid. The woman seemed shocked and rather prude. Pacing back and forth in her thoughts. The tall man, who was also an American, sat silently and watched the woman, every once and a while looking over at the Med-jai chieftain. And Ardeth wondered if he felt he had to know the warrior. The other two Americans looked shocked and sad, and very afraid.   
  
"On the contrary," Dr. Bay was saying, standing and walking over to the woman. "It may just give us the time we need to kill the creature!"  
Something caught Ardeth's eye and he looked up through the top windows on the opposite wall.   
  
"We will need all the help we can get. His powers are growing!" He said, his voice now echoing in the silent office. Every one stood and stared up at the sight through the window. It was a full eclipse. And as the moon fell over the sun, causing the sky and everything around to go dark, Mr. Carnahan, still standing in the chariot, said softly.   
  
"...And he stretched forth his hands towards the heavens, and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt."   
Ardeth and his uncle looked at each other.   
  
"Something has to be done, quickly." Dr. Bay said.   
"Your friend, I take it he is dead?" Ardeth asked, turning to the American men. They both shot him a dirty look, as if it was the Med-jai's fault, and nodded.   
  
"We need to get all of you in the same room." The tall man said, looking also at the Americans.   
Mr. Carnahan stepped down from the chariot, nearly knocking over the dummy pharaoh again.   
  
Once again, the small group looked at each other, not knowing what to do.   
"We should stay here, go through our files." Dr. Bay said, turning to Ardeth, who nodded. He then turned to the troublemakers, "You go someplace safe, we should meet back here soon. In maybe…an hour?"   
They all nodded, then slowly walked out of the room.   
  
"O'Connell, where should we go?" Ms. Carnahan asked, at the side of the tall, American man.   
"Back to the fort, no doubt." He said, casting one last glance at Ardeth.   
"I'm all for that idea!" Mr. Carnahan said, catching up to his sister and friend. Soon, their voices disappeared down the hallway.   
  
"O'Connell." Ardeth said softly to himself. "So that is his name."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I had to watch the museum scene a few times to get it just right. But I did...I hope. I went back over it a few times to get it just right. Thats the trouble with writing directly from the movie. By the way, as before said, The Mummy Returns! Oct 2! YAY! 


	4. part 4

Ok, more filler, more pov. It has been kinda hard writing this, having to run back and forth from the living room and my bedroom, between the TV and computer. Um....it has been a strage 2 weeks, with all that has happened to America. My deepest heart felt prayers go out to any one and every one involved. It is times like this that it is nice to have an escape. So...I hope to provide you all an escape. Lime jello.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
For what seemed like hours, Ardeth and Dr. Bay went over every Med-jai scroll, book on Hamunaptra, book on Seti, or anything else pertaining to the creature that they could find.   
  
"It says nothing on how to kill the creature!" Dr. Bay said finally, throwing his hands up in a huff. Ardeth looked at his uncle with concerned eyes. A sight that did not pass the elder man by.   
With a smile, Dr. Bay crossed to his nephew, placing his hand on the back of the young man's neck.   
  
"Ardeth, I am proud of you. Very proud. I don't know if I tell you that enough. You are like a son to me, the son I never got. You be sure and stop this creature for me, yes? You be sure that you do not let him win."  
  
"Uncle?" Ardeth's eyes grew confused.   
Dr. Bay sighed through a sad smile. "My son, the creature's rebirth will be the death of me. I know it to be true. I will not live through tonight."  
"How can you say that?"  
"It is something I know, in my heart. Do not worry, my son, it will all be ok."  
  
Ardeth's confused, warrior eyes turned down in sadness. This couldn't be happening; he would not lose his beloved uncle. Then who would be there for him? To be the father figure in his life?   
  
"I will not let you die, uncle. You can count on that. I will not let that happen. I have lost my father, I have lost my brother, I am close to losing my mother, I will not lose you."  
  
To his surprise, his uncle laughed. "You are a brave man, Ardeth. A strong a true leader. Omar and Tarek would be so proud…" the name sent a shiver through Ardeth's soul. "But you needn't worry. Those damn Americans and Brits may have caused this, but the Med-jai will finish it."  
Uncle and nephew stared at each other for a moment; both lost in the thought of Dr. Bay's upcoming death.   
  
"It won't happen." Ardeth said finally, "I won't let you die."  
Dr. Bay smiled. "So be it…"   
  
Something caught both their attentions, as both men turned towards the large window. A swarm of flies had filled the air, turning the dusk completely black.   
"He's gotten another." Dr. Bay said, turning back to his scrolls and books. "They have been gone for 45 minutes, we need to find something before they get back."  
Ardeth nodded and turned back to the scrolls and books as well.   
  
~~  
Just over twenty minutes later, Ardeth and Dr. Bay heard a car driving up to the museum. They both looked at each other, a way to kill the creature still hiding from them. The Med-jai met up with the group, now one American short, in the entrance.   
  
By the look on the O'Connell man's face, Ardeth knew they had lost two more to the creature.   
  
"Dr. Bay?" Ms. Carnahan said, shooting the warrior a look of fear, before stepping past him to talk to the curator. "That stone…that the Bembridge scholars left here. The one that tells of The Book of the Living? Is it still here?"  
  
"Yes, it is up stairs, why?"  
"I think it may give us a clue."  
"What do you mean?" O'Connell asked as the group now ascended the stairs. Ardeth having to keep up with his surprisingly quick uncle.   
  
"Well, according to legend, the black book we found at Hamunaptra is supposed to bring people back to life. Until now, that was a notion I was unwilling to believe." Ms. Carnahan said.  
"Believe it sister, that's what brought our buddy back to life." O'Connell said.   
  
Buddy? Ardeth thought. What a strange thing to call this evil creature. Buddy. Those damn Americans and their words.   
  
"Yes, and I'm thinking that if the black book can bring people back to life…"  
"Maybe the gold book can kill him." O'Connell finished the sentence.   
"Yes, well, that's the myth."  
  
At this point, Ardeth zoned out their words. The stupid people had discovered a way to kill the creature, even though he and Dr. Bay had been searching for an hour to find a way. Ardeth was not happy at the thought, of having these people go back to the city, and from the looks of his uncle, he was to pleased either.   
  
"IMHOTEP! IMHOTEP!" the chanting reached into his ears, as Ardeth and the rest of them turned towards a large window at the end of the hall. They all rushed to it, staring out at the massive horde of people coming their way; chanting.   
  
"And last my favorite plague, boils and sores." Mr. Carnahan said.   
  
These people have favorite plagues? Ardeth thought, looking down below. Silly breed.   
"The have become his slaves, so it had begun. The beginning of the end." Ardeth said, his voice low and urgent.   
  
"Not quite yet is hasn't, come on." The British woman said, as she turned back and headed for the stone. Ardeth and Dr. Bay shared a look but followed. The latter kneeling down and searching the large stone, that was covered in hieroglyphics, for any clues on the location of the golden book.   
The woman and her friends chatted away about something, but the Med-jai chieftain paid little attention. Every so often, a word or to would slip past his ears. "Statue of Anubis, Golden Book, Bembridge something or another."   
  
Ardeth stared over the edge of the balcony, as the horde of people tried to crash into the large doors. The chanting never ending. Looking back, he caught O'Connell's eyes, and they shared a strange look. Both men knew now that they were in this, together, till the end. It was a strange look the American gave him, a look of friendship almost.   
  
With a loud noise, the large crowd busted into the doors, screaming and yelling, rushing around like ants. O'Connell rushed to Ardeth's side and stared down at the sight.   
  
"Not right now it isn't." The American said, in response to something the woman had said.   
In a panic, the brother ran off down the hall, after saying something about a car. Coward. Ardeth thought, can't trust any of them.   
  
"We need to get out of here." O'Connell said, grabbing Ms. Carnahan's hand and pulling her down the hallway. Ardeth looked down quickly at the horde of people, who were now rushing the stairs. He pushed his uncle ant the last American forward, rushing them down the hall as well.   
  
~~  
In lighting speed, they all rushed out of the side doors of the museum, O'Connell and Ms. Carnahan in the front, the American, Dr. Bay, and finally Ardeth, keeping one eye on the people following them, and the other protectively on his uncle. They all jumped into the now started car, as Mr. Carnahan turned the car around and sped off. A small man in a red fez ran out and yelled something, to which O'Connell yelled back. Ardeth, Dr. Bay, and the American, all sitting in the back, turned and watched as the horde now chased after the car.   
  
Ardeth's mind flew a million miles a second, he knew that if the creature got the last American, much hope is stopping him would be lost. He knew he had to protect his uncle, no matter what. And he knew that now he would have to trust the people he was with, because they were in this together.   
  
Before he knew it, the car had stopped, and looking ahead, a large group of the creature's slaves stood in front of them, swords raised, waiting. Suddenly, with a yelp of pain from the driver, the car rushed forward, right into the group of madmen. They started to jump on the car; grabbing and attacking all those whom sat in it.   
  
Ardeth, in the back, began to fight off men as they climbed onto the side of the car. And though he knocked many off, more kept coming. In the frenzy, none of them saw the final American being pulled from the back of the car by two of the slaves.   
  
"O'CONNELL!!!!" He had screamed, his voice fading.   
  
Ardeth punched another fiend off the car, as O'Connell turned around and cussed viciously. Looking around, the warrior realized they were, for the most part, ruining the street markets of Cairo. More fists flew, and more boil covered freaks jumped on, and fell off, the car.   
  
Suddenly, the car hit something, sending the Med-jai lurching forward. Barley thinking, he jumped from the car, turning swiftly to see in his uncle had done the same, grabbing the older man, he forced him forward. And with a little hop over a body, he joined the others in a small bunch, as the horde of boil covered freaks closed in on them.  
  
Ardeth, keeping himself between danger and his uncle, looked around franticly, body poised to strike, at the ready for anything. But the horde, still chanting the creature's name, stopped and spread. All at once, he and his comrades saw a tall man coming towards them, an odd look on his smiling face. Ardeth had never seen this man before, but knew in an instant who he was.   
  
"It's the creature, he is fully regenerated." Dr. Bay said urgently. Ardeth watched closely as the creature came closer to them, his eyes dead still on Ms. Carnahan.   
  
"Keetah mi pharos, aja nilo, isirlan." Imhotep cooed, taking a few more steps towards the small group.   
"Come with me, my princess, it is time to make you mine, forever." The red fez man said, walking next to his mummy master.   
  
Ardeth looked over at Ms. Carnahan, to see how she would react. But was rather amused at her expression.   
  
"For all eternity, idiot." She spat.   
"Koontash dai na." The creature said, reaching out his hand.   
"Take my hand, and I will spare your friends." Red fez…Beni maybe?…said.   
  
Standing behind O'Connell and the woman, he missed the looked passed between them.   
"Oh dear." Ms. Carnahan said softly, fear in her voice. Ardeth looked at her, and her face betrayed her feelings. "You got any bright ideas?" She said, turning to O'Connell.   
  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." O'Connell held a torch in front of him as a weapon.   
Ardeth looked back to his uncle, whose face was strangely calm.   
"Well, you better think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after." He heard the woman said, and turning his head back, he saw her take a step forward, to the creature.   
  
"NO!" O'Connell called out, pulling out a gun and pointing it at the creature and woman.   
"DON'T!" Ardeth heard her say, as he lunged forward and grabbed O'Connell's wrist, forcing the gun over a few inches. The American struggled under Ardeth's weight, but the Med-jai wouldn't give up or in. And he only forced on more power.   
  
"He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual."  
"She is right," Ardeth said through gritted teeth, holding the other man back. "Live today, fight tomorrow."  
  
O'Connell, much to Ardeth's joy, put his gun down. And the American and the British woman shared a look…a look Ardeth had seen many times when warriors leave their wives…a look of love.   
The gleeful look on the mummy never faded as he held on to the woman, almost protectively. Ardeth repositioned his hands to get a better hold on the American, as O'Connell motioned forward with the torch.   
  
"I'll be seeing you again." He said, very slowly, very clearly, at the creature. Imhotep just smiled.   
Off to the side of them, a small commotion came from the Red Fez and Mr. Carnahan. But what about, the Med-jai did not know.   
  
As the creature led the woman away, he called out something, and in response, Ms. Carnahan screamed a fearful, "NO!" The horde began to chant again and move in, and the Red Fez stopped.   
"Good bye, my friend." He snickered, before running off.   
  
O'Connell, no free of Ardeth's grasp, stepped after the man but stopped. The four men were now trapped, and the horde moved closer. Ardeth stepped back into the protective path of his uncle, waiting to see what O'Connell would do. In response, he tossed his torch into the incoming crowd and pulled something up of the ground. Ardeth didn't really see, he was to worried about his uncle who, with a mad glint in his eye, pulled out his sword and walked towards the horde. Ardeth, eyes wide, began to go after his uncle, but a hand stopped him.   
  
"You next." O'Connell said, and before Ardeth knew what happened, he got a last look at his uncle before being thrown down a smelly hole. Landing in a heap at the bottom. With a grunt, he pushed himself up and found Mr. Carnahan at his side, one hand on the Med-jai's arm, helping him up. He smiled a 'thanks' before someone else dropped into the hole, landing on his feet this time.   
  
"We have to get out of here." O'Connell said, pushing past Ardeth and Mr. Carnahan and heading down the empty sewer. The brother followed, but Ardeth stayed. He looked up through the porthole sadly; the echo's of his uncle's dying screams reaching his ears. Ardeth wanted to break down; he wanted to kill them all. He wanted to do what his uncle had asked, and stop Imhotep.   
Looking over, he realized that the two other men were staring at him. Ardeth just stared back at the cover above him, his uncle's screams now gone, and silent prayed to Allah for help and strength. And for his beloved uncle, Dr. Tariff Bay.   
  
Silent, he pushed past O'Connell and the other, making his way down the long pipe they were in. he knew where they were going, and he knew the quickest way out.   
  
~~  
As they walked, Ardeth thought of everything that had happened. He was one of the first Med-jai to ever see the creature in over 3,000 years. He had seen him, heard him, stared into his cold eyes. He had lost his uncle, like Dr. Bay had said, and he was sad because of it. Ardeth knew that death was a constant thing in the Med-jai life, but he felt heart broken. His father was gone, and now so was his other father. But in the silence, he made a vow to stop this creature, to honor his fallen men.   
  
Looking back he saw in the dark the solemn faces of the two other men, both lost in their thoughts of, Ardeth had to assume, Ms. Carnahan. They both looked up at him, but stayed silent.   
The three men pressed on.   
  
~~  
Together, Ardeth and O'Connell kicked a large sewer grate out of a wall, it landing in the street of the ally with a loud clang. The three climbed out, Ardeth, of all them, the most relieved to be out of the damn smelly tube.   
  
(I got the next bit from the script of The Mummy)  
"We gotta get her back." O'Connell said, head searching up and down the ally.   
"I'm with you, old man. No one touches my sister like that and gets away with it." Mr. Carnahan said, his hands forming fists at his side.   
O'Connell looked at Ardeth; "You know where he's taking her?"   
"Yes. To Hamunaptra. To perform the ritual."   
The brother looked worried, "And what ritual would that be?"  
"The ritual to bring the body of Anck-su-namun back to life."  
"And how does one do that?"  
"By reading the Book of the Dead."  
"Oh yes, of course."  
  
Ardeth couldn't help but have fun with the man, though he knew it was not the time. "And then killing your sister."  
The man nearly fell over. "Excuse me?"  
Ardeth ignored this and turned to O'Connell. "Imhotep is now able to cross the desert with great haste." He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turning his head, Ardeth saw the smaller shape of Mr. Carnahan, "Begging your pardon, but I wasn't quite clear on that last part."  
The warrior ignored him still. "If he arrives before us, it will be too late."  
"Did you say 'kill' my sister?"  
  
O'Connell seemed to smile, as he stared off into space. "I know how to beat him to it."  
(Here endeth the bit I got from the script, I now return you to my own words.)  
  
Ardeth looked at the two men, and knew that it was time for the inevitable. And with a small sigh, he reached out his hand in greeting.   
  
"My name is Ardeth Bay, so you know."   
  
This seemed to catch both men off guard, but they to stuck out their hands and shook the warrior's hand.   
  
"Rick O'Connell."  
"Jonathan Carnahan."  
"And you sister?"  
"Evelyn." Jonathan said, sadly. Ardeth could only wonder how he felt.   
"This…creature?"  
"Imhotep. The man in the red fez?"  
"Beni."  
"We should get the car back…" O'Connell…Rick…was saying.   
  
"When we get back, I wish to take my uncles body someplace where my men can get him." Ardeth said, softly. He regretted opening his mouth as both men turned to him.   
"Uncle?" Rick…O'Connell…gasped.   
"Oh…terribly sorry ol'chum." Jonathan said. Ardeth shook both them off.   
"Lets us return to the…car…we need to get to the City of the Dead as quickly as possible." He started down the street, leaving the two others behind.   
  
~~  
In the strange stillness of the night, the three men, Warrior, American, Brit, walked side by side. Ardeth studied the two men fully, finally, for the first time since he was in their full company.   
The one, O'Connell, Rick-what ever he went by-seemed ready for just about anything. He walked like a warrior, was alert like a warrior, and seemed to have an air around him that said one thing, warrior. Ardeth, though he disliked this man, respected him just the same. The Med-jai had to respect him…he knew that this O'Connell man was supposed to be there, helping. Though why, he did not know. Maybe he never would.   
  
Jonathan…on the other hand…had more of a coward air around him then that of a warrior, but he was looking out for his sister, and Ardeth had to respect that as well. But he had to wonder what use the little man would pose to them. Another enigma.   
  
It took them a little under an hour to get back to where the beat up car was sitting. The other two men went to the car, to see if it was working, while Ardeth walked slowly to the body of his uncle. The man lie still in the darkness, a torch burning low nearby. His hand still grasped around a bloody scimitar, his eyes still open in horror and pain. But his face held the strong, determined look of a warrior, in defiance to those who had taken his life.   
  
Ardeth looked at the body sadly, happy his back was turned to the two other men. It was the third time he had truly lost someone so close, and he felt heart broken. But he knew he could not act on it. His grief would have to come later; he had work to do. Things to get done. Someone to catch, stop, and kill.   
  
But he couldn't help himself from picking up his uncles hand, and pressing his thumb deeply into the skin on the back of his hand, and dragging it over, removing the make-up and revealing the pointed tattoos all Med-jai had on their hands. He was sad, yes. And the now dull tattoos only made him sadder. But there was wok to be done.   
  
Slowly, carefully, he pulled the scimitar out of the cold hand of his uncle, and sat it off to the side. Then, he gently slid his arms under the body and with a tiny grunt, lifted his now dead uncle off the ground, holding him close. Still protectively.   
  
By this time, the other two had gotten the car started and ready, and watched on as Ardeth placed the body in the back of the car, went back and retrieved the fallen scimitar, then returned to the car.  
"Ready, then?" Jonathan asked softly.   
Ardeth just nodded.   
"Where do you want to…um…go?"  
"Back to the museum."  
  
O'Connell jumped into the car and was followed closely by Jonathan, who started and drove off. Ardeth didn't say another word, just kept a protective hand on his uncle.   
  
~~  
They got to the museum and found it half-destroyed but empty. The horde of fools who had been there now long gone. Ardeth told the other two to wait as he picked up Dr. Bay's body and carried it into the museum. He wanted to be heartbroken and he wanted to, in part, cry. But the Med-jai did not as he carried the body into the man's office. He gently laid the man down, and covered him with a blanket he had found in a nearby closet.   
  
He knew that the Med-jai in Cairo had to hear of the destruction of the museum, but he had to get word to them quickly anyhow.   
  
In Med-jai fashion, he lit a fresh torch and carried it to the large window upstairs; that they had all looked out of just hours before. There, he carefully placed the torch in the window. Then he placed the fallen scimitar across the torch, so they would form an 'x' in the window. A Med-jai sign of distress and death.   
  
Looking down, he saw that O'Connell and Jonathan were staring up at what he was doing. But he didn't care. He then returned to his uncle's office and knelt down next to the body.   
  
"Allah take you in, my uncle, my friend. May peace find you now, in this next stage of life." He said softly, in Arabic.   
  
Then, Ardeth stood and left the room left the broken museum. And looking up one last time to make sure his signal was right, he jumped into the back of the car.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Thank God for the script to this movie. Is it good so far? A special thanks to Deana. You rock girl, thanks for your help. Cant wait for your next fic. More coming, the next will most likely be the last chapter. No More Goat Soup! Thanks for your reviews....peace to all.   
  
"We are stardust, we are golden, We are billion year old carbon. And we got to get ourselves back to the garden."   



	5. part 5

This is the last chapter, and the most silly. It is hard writing for this chapter, because all the running from the tv to the computer. More filler, More pov, a little look at his town. Good stuff. Rest assured, as soon as TMR come out on vid, I will be able to do Ardeth filler/pov for that to. YAY!   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Where are we going, O'Connell?" Jonathan asked, as the car made its way through the dead calm Cairo streets. Ardeth, sitting in the back, listened on in interest.   
  
"Remember Winston?" The American asked.   
"Yes."   
"We are going there."   
Jonathan let out a groan and drove on.   
  
The sky around them was slowly getting lighter, and by the time they had reached their destination, the sun was up and fresh in the sky. Ardeth, who had rarely ever been in a car, watched as the city passed them by, and soon found himself, and his comrades, three miles outside Cairo driving up to a small, dirty airport.   
  
The car putted along, passing a child with goats and a two-seater plane. It only had two seats. There are four of them, how come the plane only had two seats? Where would the other two sit? Ardeth looked around, but did not see another plane. One with more seats. Why did the plane only have two seats?   
  
Jonathan, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, parked the car and they all jumped out. One of the locals, who was working there this early in the morning, recognized Ardeth for who he truly was and bowed his head in respect. The other two noticed this and looked at the Med-jai questionably. Ardeth just waved them away with his hand and didn't say a word.   
  
How come that damn plane only had two seats?  
  
Turning, Ardeth saw a man sitting on top a small dune, enjoying his music, tea, and the early sun. O'Connell passed the warrior and started toward the dune. Jonathan and Ardeth followed.   
  
Home come it only had two seats? Where was he going to sit?  
  
"Um, a word Winston?" O'Connell called as the three walked up the small dune. The bottom of Ardeth's robes brushing along the soft sand as he followed Jonathan.   
"We have a problem, and we need your help."   
  
"Someone has…kidnapped my sister and we have to get somewhere before the…um…he hurts her." Jonathan said. Ardeth stood at Jonathan's side, still wondering about the seating on the plane. If they were going to take that thing to Hamunaptra, where were the other two going to sit?  
  
"So what's your little problem got to do with His Majesty's Royal Air Corp?" the large man sitting asked. This must be Winston.   
"Not a damn thing." O'Connell replied.   
"Is it dangerous?"  
"You probably won't live through it…"  
"By Jove, do you really think so?" Winston seem intrigued at the thought that he might die because of this. Ardeth could understand why. Damn silly breed.   
"Everybody else he's bumped into has died, why not you?" Jonathan threw in.  
"So what's the challenge then?"   
"To rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world."   
  
Winston's face lit up and he laughed joyfully. Standing, he gave O'Connell a sloppy salute. "Winston Havlock at your service, sir!"   
Ardeth shot the brother a puzzled look, but he did not see it.   
  
Together, they all walked down the dune and towards…it. The plane. The plane that only had two seats.   
  
"Whose he?" Winston asked, jerking his thumb in Ardeth's direction.   
"Ardeth Bay." O'Connell said, beating the rightful owner of the name to the punch. "He's going to help us."  
The smaller, fat man looked the taller, well-built warrior up and down then shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"Fine. Well, this is only a two seat plane." Finally! The answer to his question! "So…I can either take one of you at a time…"  
"We don't have the time Winston." O'Connell said.   
"Then…two of you get strapped to the wings!"   
  
Ardeth and Jonathan both nearly fell over where they stood. Together, they both snapped, "STRAPPED TO THE WINGS?"  
  
"Oh no…O'Connell…noooo. You are NOT strapping me to a wing!" Jonathan protested.   
"I'm with him." Ardeth growled. "You are not doing that to me!"  
"Relax!" O'Connell said, flashing them a strange smile. "We will draw straws or something. But we have to do it quickly, because we have to save Evelyn, remember?"  
  
~~  
So, they drew straws. A custom Ardeth was never aware of. So he didn't understand what it meant that he had picked a short straw. Jonathan, who had to come up with a short one, cussed loudly and kicked at the dirt. O'Connell, on the other hand, had a wicked grin on his face.   
  
Ardeth didn't get the fate his short straw bestowed on him until O'Connell threw a leather hood and goggles into his hands.   
  
"Which one of you wants the left wing?" He asked, face still giddy.   
Then Ardeth understood. He and Jonathan looked at each other.   
"I'll take it." The latter said finally, kicking the sand once more and bitterly putting on his hod and goggles. Ardeth could bear to watch as the young British man jumped up onto the wing of the plane and waited as O'Connell strapped him down. The whole time, Ardeth was amused at the quite string of cuss words that came out of Jonathan's mouth.   
  
As he waited for his own turn, Ardeth took off his turban and replaced it with the tight leather hood. The goggles, a western invention he had only seen once before, were of course strange to the Med-jai warrior. And as he saw O'Connell coming at him, a crazed and giddy look on his face, he quickly placed the goggles on his head and around his eyes. They caused everything to go very dark, as if the day had suddenly turned to night. (Like the afternoon before)   
  
Reluctantly, Ardeth hopped up onto the right wing of the plane. The damn two seat plane. And waited for O'Connell to strap him on.   
"Make it tight, laddie, we wouldn't want him falling off mid-flight, now would we?" Winston said, as he waddled into the cockpit.   
  
From behind the darkness of his goggles, Ardeth glared at O'Connell.   
The American laughed as he tightened the strap.   
"Relax, it will be a safe trip. Nothing will happen." Ardeth knew better then to trust him, and had a feeling that those words would come back to haunt them all.   
  
The warrior closed his eyes and began to pray. There was a long silence…then a loud noise bust through the air. Had he the room, Ardeth would have jumped out of his skin. But he was strapped in to tight and could not budge. Then, the plane jumped forward, and began to move.   
Ardeth was sure he must have turned white, as he gripped the side of the wing for dear life. Wind was rushing past him now, harder and harder as he knew they were going faster.   
The scream of one of the men…Jonathan maybe…filled the air as the plane lifted up. Suddenly, Ardeth was flying!   
  
He couldn't believe it, and slowly, he opened his eyes and looked down. The ground seemed far away, and they were definitely in the air. A smile slowly made its way across his face. And he was having the time of his life!  
  
~~  
It seemed like forever that Ardeth was strapped to the wing. Laughing silently, enjoying it, smiling, joyful. He heard a whistle off to his left but didn't look up. The voice of O'Connell coming through the wind.   
  
"How ya doin'?"   
Ardeth laughed some more and held on tighter. This was fun!   
  
But something didn't seem right. He could hear O'Connell and Winston yelling at each other about something being, "big". A minute later he heard O'Connell yell in fright and the plane under him began to twist and turn and Ardeth could help but yell for his life. Suddenly, flying wasn't that fun anymore. He screams were drowned out by those of the other men and Ardeth could tell what was going on. He couldn't turn his head, so he couldn't see what ever O'Connell was screaming at. Suddenly, over a cliff, the plane shot down and headed straight for the ground.   
That's when Ardeth closed his eyes and yelled even louder.   
  
Under him, the plane seemed to right its self, but then the gunshots started, and there was more yelling. Then the shots stopped, but the warrior picked the worst time to open his eyes. The plane was surrounded with sand. Lots and lots and lots of sand. Not good. This is not good. This is not happening. Not good!   
  
That's when the plane turned over, and they were all flying upside down. Ardeth was going to die, he knew it, he was going to die. DAMN YOU O'CONNELL!!!!   
Then, suddenly, a miracle of god, the plane righted itself again! Yay! He wasn't going to die! Allah be praised!   
  
Then the engine made a funny noise. A dying noise. And all hell broke lose. Ardeth wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. the needed to see his death coming, he could not shut his eyes to it.   
Air, air, sky…ok…no death. Wait! Ground! Sand! AGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
That's when they hit the ground, sand flying every where. Ardeth felt the wing under him snap and drop, as he landed in the sand with a thud. He had just crashed in an airplane…but he was alive.   
  
The warrior let his head drop on to the wing and he wanted to lay there for a very long, long time. But he knew he couldn't. Twisting and turning, he wiggled his way out of the straps, that were still somewhat tight around his body, and he stumbled off the wing. He stood up shaky, dizzy, and ready to fall over. His hand rose and pulled off the hood and goggles, the sun instantly blinding him with the brightness. He knew that his hair had to be stick up everywhere, but he didn't care. Off to his side, O'Connell had fallen out of the plane, and Jonathan was yelling for help.   
  
And something had just caught the warrior's attention. Stumbling over to the back of the plane, Ardeth tore off a wonderful gun. The one O'Connell had to have been using on…whatever had brought them down. He looked it over, felt its weight, it fit perfectly in his hands. He was like a boy receiving his first horse…he had a new gun!   
  
The plane made a odd noise and began to sink down. And knowing of the underground water supplies that were around them, Ardeth knew what was happening.   
  
"Quicksand! Quicksand! Get back!" he yelled as the two men stumbled back. The plane slowly sank into the ground, and the Med-jai chieftain couldn't help but respect Winston for dying so bravely. They stood in a row, and watched as Winston got his burial. O'Connell solute the sinking plane and it's fallen pilot. And after a second, they marched on into the desert. The city was only a few miles away, and they would reach it soon. Ardeth was sure of that. And as they walked away, Ardeth, new gun in hands, looked around for any sight of his men.   
  
Nothing. No one was there. They had to be there….they should have been there. Where the hell is Ahmad? Oh…would Ardeth have some words with his second in command when he got home. Damn that stubborn man, he was probably angry that Ardeth hadn't taken him with him.   
  
For the first five minutes, they walked in silence. Then O'Connell spoke up.   
"Ardeth," His name seemed strange leaving the American's lips. "do you know where he is going to be taking her in the city?"  
"I have a general idea. He will take her to the main chamber, where all the sacrifices and rituals took place."  
  
"And you know how to get there?" Jonathan asked.   
"Yes, I know of two ways. One way I have taken, one I have not."  
"Well, this is no time to get lost. So we should go the way you have taken before."  
"So we should."   
  
There was another long string of silence. In which time Jonathan stared at Ardeth's face for most of the time. The Med-jai looked at him with a raised eyebrow.   
"Oh…sorry ol'chum. I was just wondering about your tattoos. Tell me, what do they mean?"   
O'Connell smacked Jonathan upside the head.   
"OW! What the hell was that for?!"  
"Don't ask rude questions!"  
"I wasn't! You silly git!" Jonathan began to rub the backside of his head, "Honestly, you acted just like Evy!"  
  
This little argument had stopped them all dead in their tracks. And Ardeth knew that couldn't be good.   
  
"Come children, stop arguing and let us get to the city and save the girl, eh?" He said as he walked past them, a strange smile on his face. If nothing else, he liked having fun with these men. But there was still work to do, and they had to get it done quickly.   
So they walked on, for another 20 minutes, in silence. Every once and a while Jonathan would grumble something evil and dirty in O'Connell's direction. And at that point, Ardeth would have backhanded the man to get him to grow up, but he was saved. They had reached the city.   
  
"There are foot steps!" Jonathan cried as he ran forward, following them.   
"They are fresh, and they are going in the same way we were going to go." Ardeth said, looking around the deserted city. "We have to go the other way."   
"But…"  
"Hang on…"  
  
Ardeth paid no heed to the protests. "We have to go the other way, we will be able to sneak up on them then, catch them by surprise."  
The two men considered this. "Fine, lead away." O'Connell said finally.   
  
Ardeth bowed his head and started forward, walking them into a doorway and tunnel none of them have ever been in before. He had remembered his father and brother talking about this way. They had mentioned which ways to turn, what hallways to take, and where they would end up.   
Once inside the depths of the city, they lit torches and carried them along a hall, until they reached a small room.   
  
"There should be a doorway in here…" Ardeth began. He looked around, all their eyes landing on the same pile of rocks up against one wall. "It is behind there. We have to get through there."  
He and O'Connell looked at each other, then at Jonathan. They both knew that the more man power the better, but they also knew that the British man would not help move the rocks. Pushing him to the side, they began on the pile of rocks. Pulling them down, throwing them off to the side.   
  
Ardeth couldn't believe his luck. Crashing in an airplane, bringing these fools back to the city, now having to do hard labor. And Jonathan wasn't helping.   
  
"Take those bigger stones first! Take them from the top!" He was instructing them. "Otherwise the whole thing will cave in on us! Come one! Put your backs into it!"   
  
Ardeth couldn't handle it anymore. From the looks of things, neither could O'Connell. They both stood up and faced the smaller man, staring down at him, hard, pissed, unpleased looks on both their faces. Ardeth's chest heaved up and down as he stared at the little man.   
And Jonathan looked very frightened.   
"Yes, well…you've got the idea. Chop, chop!" He said with a smile.   
  
Ardeth and O'Connell returned to their work, passing a look between each other. They both wanted to kill him. They pulled more rocks away as Jonathan wondered around the room. Mumbling something about "gents" and "have a look at this". Ardeth didn't want to pay attention to the man, but when his scream split out into the still air, he couldn't ignore it any longer.   
  
Turning, O'Connell yelled out, "What?!"  
"MY ARM! MY ARM!" Jonathan called, sticking his arm out franticly. O'Connell and Ardeth rushed to him. The former ripped Jonathan's shirt off and they all saw the little bump moving up his arm quickly.   
  
"Hold him!" O'Connell instructed as he pushed Jonathan into Ardeth. The Med-jai grabbed hold and held on tightly.   
"Do something! Do something!" Jonathan screamed as O'Connell flipped out a knife. "Not that! Not that!" Too late. O'Connell dug the knife into Jonathan's shoulder and dug around for a second, then flipped his hand up.   
  
Ardeth watched on as a black thing flew out of the man's shoulder and across the room, landing with a small thud. A scarab no less.   
The little bug stood and shook it's self off and turned back to the three men. Determined little bastard. Ardeth stepped protectively in front of Jonathan. That bug would have to get through him first.   
  
He didn't know why he suddenly became so protective of the other man, considering all the trouble he had caused the Med-jai, but he felt he had to.   
O'Connell seemed to feel the same way as well. He pulled out a gun and shot the bug into smithereens.  
  
"We need to get you bandaged up…" O'Connell said, turning to Jonathan. They both looked at the warrior in his long robes. "Could you spare us a little bit of cloth?"   
Ardeth thrust his hand into his robes and pulled out his turban. He probably wouldn't be needing that much longer. "Keep digging, I will tend to him." He told O'Connell. "You, sit down and don't touch anything." He told Jonathan.   
  
He obeyed and kneeled down. Ardeth in tern, did the same as he ripped pieces of the turban apart.   
"Do you know what you're doing?" Jonathan asked.   
"My mother, aunt, and sister are all doctors of my people. They have taught me enough to get by when someone gets hurt." He gently wrapped a part of the cloth around Jonathan's hand and wrist, covering the bleeding entry hole.   
  
"By the way, who are your people?" Jonathan flinched slightly as Ardeth pulled the cloth tight.   
"We are the Med-jai." Simple answer. He then began tying a thin piece of cloth around the bandage, in order to keep it in place and tight.   
"So you blokes do exist! I always thought you were just myth!"  
  
"I can assure you, we are real." He then turned his attention to the shoulder. This was going to be much harder to cover. He folded a piece of cloth up and placed it over the wound. Then tore a large piece of the turban and placed it over the shoulder. He then tore a long thin piece and placed it around Jonathan's neck, bringing it over so it held the larger piece in place. Then tying it at the shoulder so it would stay in place. He then got another piece, this one not so thin, and placed it under Jonathan's arm, bringing it up around the armpit and tying it at top.   
  
"Move your arm a little. Does that feel right? Is the bandage coming lose?" Ardeth asked.   
Jonathan did as he was told. "No, it is staying in the right place." The man looked very grateful and smiled brightly at the warrior. "Thanks friend!"   
  
Ardeth bowed his head in response and stood. Friend? Well, it had to be. Inevitable it seemed. He was bound to become these people's friend.   
At this point, Rick turned to the two of them, the rock pile now greatly reduced. But he glared at Jonathan. "From now on, don't touch anything. Not a damn thing. Keep your hands off the furniture, got it?"  
  
The other man nodded and swallowed hard. Ardeth wanted to chuckle but kept in inside. Stepping past Jonathan, he returned to the rock pile with O'Connell.   
  
~~  
"You sure you don't know what's in this room?" O'Connell asked as they stood in front of a small crack in a wall, at the end of a very narrow hallway.   
  
"I have never been this way before, so I couldn't tell you." Ardeth responded, looking over O'Connell's shoulder. The American shrugged and threw his torch and a large bag in through the crack, it landing in the dirt with a soft thud. The bag, Ardeth had noticed, seemed heavy and full of something, though what, he did not know. O'Connell had just carrying it with him the whole time. Next, the American jumped through and Ardeth followed.   
  
The room seemed vast, but they could not see anything in the dark. As Ardeth placed the strap of his new gun over his shoulder, O'Connell shot at something. Suddenly, a beam of light bounced across the room, lighting it brightly.   
  
None of them could believe their eyes at what was held in the room.  
  
Gold. Lots and lots and lots of gold. Gold everything…gold everywhere. gold…riches…gold. Ardeth couldn't keep down his disbelief. If he could get some of that gold…he could go anywhere…do anything…be free! No Med-jai…no Hamunaptra…just…freedom. And gold.   
He shook it away. He couldn't be thinking such things. He was a leader. And though he, like any human, had greed inside him, he couldn't let it show. But still…so much gold.   
  
O'Connell began his descent down the stairs and the other two followed. It seemed to Ardeth that Jonathan was having a harder time containing himself then the rest of them. Ardeth knew that he wanted to pounce on the gold, and never leave it.   
  
"Can you see…?" Jonathan breathed.   
"Yeah…" O'Connell responded.   
"Can you believe…?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Can we just…"  
"No."  
  
Ardeth looked around him…all that gold.   
A strange sound filtered through to his ears. A sound he had only heard once before…in the Cairo Bazaar with his father…the sound of an angry ferret.   
  
Turning, they saw a mummified hand stick up out of the ground, then another, and another. Slowly, the living mummies crawled their way up into the chamber.   
"Who the hell are these guys?" O'Connell asked.   
"Priests. Imhotep's priests." Ardeth responded.   
"All right then."  
  
All three men began to blow the hell out of the mummies. Taking off arms, legs, heads, various other body parts. But still more were coming at them.   
The new gun was nice and efficient. Ardeth enjoyed it very much. Blowing the hell out of those mummified bastards! You can't get past the Med-jai warrior and his special new gun! HA HA!  
  
Quickly, Jonathan and Rick ran out of ammo.   
Backing up, they raced out of the chamber, running into a narrow passageway. To where…God only knows. And still, the mummies came. Ardeth, in the back of the group, still blew away at the mummies. Knocking two or three out, and having two or three more coming after them. Damn things! And even with O'Connell at his side, also blowing away at the creatures, they couldn't keep them back.   
  
Suddenly, Jonathan cried out happily about Horus. They had reached the stature. Ardeth's new gun ran out of ammo, and having none with him, Ardeth threw the gun into the mummies and continued to back down the hallway, one step behind O'Connell.   
  
They back into the room, as O'Connell thrust his gun into Ardeth's hands. Ardeth stood at the ready. Just try and come in here you mummy bas…WHAT THE HELL!?  
Something hot and sharp suddenly appeared on Ardeth's cheek, as out of the corner of his eye, a small flame appeared. Then he realized what had happened.   
  
He looked over at O'Connell, shooting him a evil, Med-jai look of death. But the American just looked back as he lit the fuse of a stick of dynamite. The look on his eyes that of not feeling that he did anything wrong.   
  
Had it been the time, Ardeth would have killed O'Connell. But it wasn't.   
  
"Time to close the door!" The American said as he launched the stick of TNT into the passageway. Then he and Ardeth dove for the back of the statue, where Jonathan was already hiding. They got down, all three squashed together as a loud explosion filled the air, the screams of the mummies and the rumble of the echo pounced around the room.   
  
~~  
Jonathan and O'Connell tore away at the statue, trying as hard as they could to get the secret compartment open. Ardeth, his cheek still hurting slightly from the match, reloaded the large gun O'Connell had thrust into his hands. This was more action then the Med-jai Chieftain had seen in a long time…and he couldn't believe what was happening to him.   
  
More angry ferret sounds echoed through the chamber. More mummies were coming.   
  
"Damn! These guys just don't quit!" O'Connell gasped as he pulled on the secret compartment door. Ardeth cocked the gun.   
"Keep digging!" He called and began to blow away a the mummies that were entering the chamber. Behind him, there were more angry ferret sounds and lots of commotion. Turning back, he saw mummies clawing away at the compartment. Suddenly, the door exploded as a liquid shot out, covering the three mummies in the burning liquid. Looking over, he saw that O'Connell and Jonathan were safe.   
  
Quickly, he reloaded the gun again. and pumped into the passageway of mummies. Then…he was out. He cocked the gun, nothing. Again, still nothing.   
  
Then he understood. He was supposed to die for this cause. Just like his uncle. It made sense. He prayed for his new found friends. Prayed that they would get out alive. Get out ok. He prayed that they would stop and kill the creature. Somewhere inside him, he almost felt proud that he had the chance to spend time with them.   
  
Turning back, Ardeth looked at his friends once last time. He wish they would have met under other circumstances, but sadly, they had not. He knew what he had to do, what he had to give. And The Med-jai was more then willing.   
  
"Save the girl! Kill the creature!" He told them. Then, with a battle cry, the ran into the mummy filled hallway. Beating them with the gun in his hands. Everywhere he turned mummies surrounded him, but he didn't care. He beat them, hit them, kicked them, but could not stop them on his own. One mummy grabbed him and turned him around, and he saw his friends standing there.   
  
"What are you waiting for!" He yelled at them. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"  
Then he heard a soft, female voice in his head. "Turn right." It told him. "Turn right!"   
  
So he did, pushing a mummy back, he threw himself to the right.   
  
That's when the explosion went off, the force of it slamming him into a wall.   
  
And everything went black for the Med-jai warrior.   
  
~~  
"Wake up, Ardeth Bay. Wake up and get out. Quickly."  
  
~~  
He hurt. He hurt badly. His whole body hurt, and for a second, he thought he was at home, in his bed. And everything had been a bad dream. A very bad dream. But he still hurt. Groaning, he opened his eyes, a flash of pain covering him swiftly. It took a minute for the fuzziness to uncover his brain and his eyes.   
  
Finally, his sight came in clear, and he looked around. it was not all a dream. He was in the hallway he was in before. The burnt remains of mummies all around him. But he was untouched. He was…he was alive! Allah be praised!  
He closed his eyes again and laid there for a minute. Wanting to stay there forever.   
  
"Get up!" His mind screamed at him. And a second later, he heard a loud groan and creek from the walls. Opening his eyes quickly, he saw that the walls were starting to move slowly.   
Ignoring the pain in his body, Ardeth jumped up and bolted out of the hallway. He didn't even know what way he was taking, he just knew he had to get out of the city quickly.   
  
He ran blindly down one hallway after another, running as fast as he possibly could. finally, on the faith of God, he burst out into the bright sunlight. It blinded him for a moment, in which he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Looking up and around, he could not find his friends. And prayed that they would get out safely.   
  
Ardeth stood and staggered out of the city, following the camels that were running from there as well. When he got out fully, he turned and saw that the city was falling apart. Large pillars and buildings were falling, dust flying everywhere.   
  
And no sign of his friends.   
  
He searched and searched, then, finally, he saw three figures running from the ruins of the once great Hamunaptra. They to were running blindly, straight towards him.   
Ardeth quickly ducked behind a large camel as his friends ran up to where he was standing. And as they turned to stare at the destruction of the city, Ardeth silently mounted the animal. They all stood in a row. Jonathan closest to him, his sister, Evy, and O'Connell. All watching the city fall.   
  
He was going to love doing this.   
  
He clapped a hand down on to Jonathan's shoulder, causing the man to jump and scream, and for the other two to do the same. Turning quickly, they saw Ardeth sitting on top of the camel. A smile on his face.   
  
"Thank you, thank you very much!" Jonathan gasped, holding his chest.   
Ardeth looked down at them, feeling nothing but joy and gratefulness towards the three standing before him. His new friends. Ones he would have for life.   
  
"You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people. May Allah smile upon you always." He said. Then he kissed the side of his index finger, placed it on the tattoo on his forehead, then lowering his hand down at his friends.   
  
Evy and Rick gave him a big smile. He has happy to see them together.   
"And, yourself." Jonathan said as he made a cross in the air with his finger.   
Ardeth looked at his friends, for what he hopped would not be the last time. Then, pulling the camels reigns, he clicked his tongue and pushed the animal forward.   
  
"Stay out of trouble!" He heard O'Connell call out to him. But he did not look back. His friends were fine, he knew in his heart that the creature was dead, and once again, all was well for the Med-jai.   
  
~~  
It took Ardeth a little over an hour to get home, and he was extremely happy to see his town as he rode up to it. Everyone who lived there came out in a cheer as they welcomed their leader home. Slowly, Ardeth lowered himself from the camel and stood before his people.   
  
"I am home!" he called out in his native tongue. His people cheered and sang.   
Before he knew it, a missile of a body hit him, wrapping its arms around his neck. Looking down, he realized that it was his little sister, Meelesh. He embraced her back just as tight. Happy to be with her again.   
  
And when she let go, his mother grabbed him and embraced him tightly. Tears of joy coming out of her eyes.   
"Allah be praised, he has brought my son home to me." She said whispered in his ear.   
"Allah has been good to me over these past few days mother." He whispered back.   
When his mother let go, Ahmad came forth and shook his best friend and chieftain's hand.   
  
"Thank Allah…you are back!" He said happily. "We will celebrate your return and the death of the creature!" Then, quietly to Ardeth, he asked, "The creature was stopped, right?"   
Ardeth chuckled and nodded.   
"Then we will celebrate!" The crowd went wild.   
  
"My people! My friends! Please!" Ardeth called out, raising his hands. "I have had little sleep in the past five days, we will celebrate, but first I must rest!"  
  
The crowd still went wild, and then slowly began to disperse. A few people, including the Elders, stopped and welcomed Ardeth home with a handshake or a bow of the head.   
Finally, Ardeth made his way slowly to his tent, to his nice soft bed…  
  
"You think this is the end…this is not the end." An old woman said, walking past him. Taking his attention, he turned and faced her. "This is not the end. You will see them all again. you will see them all again. It is not over…he will return. They all will return."   
  
She then walked away, mumbling "This is not the end. They will return."   
  
Ardeth watched her go, wondering what she could possibly mean. Something wiggling under the sand caught his attention and he looked down at his boot.   
  
A small black scorpion came out from under the sand and looked up at him, pinching one of its claws in his direction, before scattering off into the desert, away from his town.   
Ardeth watched it go with interest. Wondering.   
  
Shaking it off, he stumbled into his tent and collapsed onto his bed. Finally, rest. He thought quickly of his friends, and hopped they would get back safely. He thought of the old woman, and what her words might mean. He thought of the scorpion…  
  
Ardeth Bay fell asleep on that note. Finally, the Med-jai chieftain could sleep. All was good for his people once more.   
  
~fin~  
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Guess what! The KIDS WB is coming out with a Mummy Cartoon! Sweet huh? It comes out Saterday, the 29, at 9:30/8:30 C/P. It is going to kick ass! It has all our favorite characters.   
But I do have some issues with the characters...and how they are drawn....see for your self. go to   
http://www.themummytv.com/main.html to check it out.   
  
Um, I am giving you all a sneek peek at the TMR Ardeth filler/pov. It is going to be a good story, I hope. and have some great ideas about Evy's...um...well, you all know. (And if you dont...it's sad!)  
Anyway, thanks always for the reviews and for reading it. Enjoy life! Lime jello, maggi. 


	6. TMR sneek peek

And now, a sneek peek at my next Ardeth pov/filler fic. This one, from The Mummy Returns.   
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It had happened two months before. Something that he knew to be inevitable. They would come back for him…how could they not?   
  
He remembered it well, that clear night, two months before. Sitting around the bonfire of his town, laughing with family and friends. Nothing had happened to his people in such a long time, they had become accustomed with the peace and safety.   
  
He remembered the look on his second in command's face. One of pure horror. He remembered the very words his friend spoke.   
  
"Thy are at the city…his followers…they are there to get him back."  
  
And he remembered the sight that was laid before him that clear night. The once beautiful Hamunaptra, lying before them. Once so large and full, now nothing but an empty dirt pit on the ground.   
  
It was not empty anymore. It was full…full of people, hundreds of people. With spotlights and cars, machines and tents. And he knew he knew this was only the beginning.   
  
Together, He and his second in command stole up into the large campsite, and looked around. Most of the people were diggers. But he saw a few, one, and a short man who walked around, shouting instructions at the diggers. One, a beautiful woman, who seemed to know her way around the city, and one, an enemy to him. An evil, horrible man who had made his life hell, a former Med-jai, a former friend.   
  
And Ardeth Bay, chieftain of the Med-jai knew that none of this could be good. He had looked over at Ahmad, his second in command, and he remembered the words that came out of his mouth.   
  
"This is not good. If they want to bring him back…we have to keep the O'Connell's safe."  
  
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I hate to tell ya that you will have to wait a while to get the whole story. But...thats how it goes. 


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